How can art transform culture? The answer to this ques-
tion may be answered in both ideological and practical
terms. First of all, the arts may and should glorify God. Men
are made in the image of God; God is the Creator and like
Him, men also create. It is not a question if men create: they
will and do. The apropos question is “What will we create?”
Francis Schaeffer notes, “The arts …do have a place in the
Christian life—they are not peripheral… The Lordship of
Christ should include an interest in the arts… An artwork
can be a doxology in itself.” Do we want to train our young
people to worship God with all their heart, soul, mind, and
strength? Then we must teach them how to do so with the
creativity with which God endowed them.
Secondly, the arts have practical application. Francis
Bacon, the celebrated scientist and devout Anglican,
wrote, “Man by the fall fell at the same time from his state
of innocence and from his dominion over nature. Both of
these losses, however, can even in this life be in some part
repaired; the former by religion and faith, the latter by the
arts and sciences.” 1 In short, Bacon understood what few
Christians seem to comprehend: the arts serve a pragmatic
purpose for the Christian. The arts are a valuable tool avail-
able to the Christian working to subdue all of creation to
the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Artists make the television
shows about which Christians disapprove. Artists write the
books on the New York Times Bestsellers List. Artists make
the music we don’t want our young people to hear. Andy
Crouch, in his book, Culture Making, rightly explains, “The
only way cultures truly change is through the introduction of
new cultural goods.” 2 So, if Christians truly desire to change
culture, ranting and raving over the latest cultural “no-no”
simply won’t do the trick. We need to create.
When it comes to art, Christian standards need to be
high. Although alternatives to secular art exist in particular
genres (most notably music), the real goal isn’t the creation
of a long list of Christian alternatives. Instead, we want and
the world needs Christians who create so compellingly that
their good works saturate culture, becoming the standard
rather than simply secondary alternatives. Cookie-cutter
fiction, predictable film, and homogenous music doesn’t
measure up. To raise the bar, consider Dante’s “Inferno,”
Handel’s “Messiah,” or Michelangelo’s “David.” This is
22
originality; this is culture changing; this is true Christian
art. Although my examples are centuries old, my point still
holds: we want authentic art with lasting cultural value, not
fleeting, commercial stand-ins.
How can we encourage culture changing creativity
in our young people?
1. Own your artistic biases. When the
church imposes extra-biblical values on
creative freedom by approving and reject-
ing particular genres or styles, we relin-
quish the opportunity to impact culture.
Sadly, many young artists fail to reach creative maturity
within the church because the church fails to value artistic
diversity. We present them with a false dichotomy: deny your
individual creativity or deny the church. Is it any wonder
that many young artists leave the church and pursue more
accepting environments? In short, the Christian community
must learn to protect and foster artistic freedom.
2. Insist on technical excellence. There is
a grammar (a set of rules) to every skill,
but too often modern artistic training
ignores those rules in the interest of “fun”
and “creativity.” Mature, creative excel-
lence stands firmly on the foundational knowledge of its
predecessors. Christian artistic training should insist that
artists master the grammar of their genre. Beware of “mushy,
feel good” training that bypasses basic skill development.
3. Provide artistic inspiration. If
your child has artistic leanings, you
should make it a priority to encour-
age those inclinations. For example,
many times the arts flourish in
community. Perhaps you could find
or even initiate a Christian artistic community in your area.
In the absence of a physical community, online options are
available. Beyond that, invest in books and classes. Visit
museums. Attend the theatre. Enjoy a concert. Read a book
with your student and discuss it. Join a book club. Don’t let
cost deter you; many low cost and free choices can be found.
The local library is an excellent resource!